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Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:39:17 GMT |
August 16, 2003
Drivers and Licences
According to a new study here, people with immigrant backgrounds have a poorer understanding of traffic safety (that is they drive poorer) than do Swedes. The story makes it clear that this poor driving ability does differ depending on what country people come from, and singles out Iran and other countries in the Middle East.
People from other countries are allowed to drive here with their foreign licences for one year, and it is during this period that the problems occur. After a year you have to get a Swedish drivers licence, which besides possibly putting new demands on drivers' knowledge, also involves taking an extremely expensive round of driving instruction. (So it is possible that those people from the Middle East just stop driving after a year, since the chances are good they can't afford to get a Swedish licence.)
The story certainly will make Swedes feel good about their driving abilities. But any American living in Sweden just laughed out loud when they read it. Compared to Americans, Swedes are terrible drivers!
That is, they aren't reckless or out of control, but they really don't always seem to have a grasp on the traffic laws. They often refuse to give pedestrians the right of way, and have a habit of driving through red lights. Not seldom do you see someone turn left at a traffic light (because they have a green light) then stop in the middle of the intersection, when they catch sight to the red light stopping traffic in the direction they are turning into.
The one thing most Swedish drivers really don't seem to have grasped is the Yield sign. They just don't seem to get it, and usually drive right through it. (Or, if they have the right of way, they will let the people behind the yield sign go ahead, usually one after the other.)
The only reason I can see is that they have to spend a lot of money once to get the licence, but never get tested again, ever. So they have lots of time to forget.
Ironically the Motorists Association here seems to have it as their highest priority to get the govenment to increase speed limits. The limits on country highways now is 110 kph, which is more than 70 miles a hour. People routinely drive above that, but the Motorists Association wants 120 or more. Instead they ought to working a lot harder to get their members to obey the laws. Americans will routinely drive 5 miles an hour above the speed limit. Some (not all) Swedes routinely want to drive 10-20 kph over the speed limit, which is a lot more than the American margin. I really don't like it when these speed idiots drive past our block, where there are a lot of kids.
Licences
This whole thing about surrendering your old licence to get a Swedish one is also weird. If you have a licence from an American state, you have passed a test there and are licenced as able to drive a motor vehicle there. Getting a Swedish licence shouldn't unlicence you elsewhere, you still earned that original licence. If you have a foreign university diploma and move to Sweden and get a degree here, you don't lose the degree you earned abroad.
Licences from other EU countries are valid here, but why hasn't the United States negotiated a treay with the EU for American licences to be honored in Europe? I asked a friend who worked at the US Embassy in Stockholm once when they were going to do that, and he said there were no plans whatsoever.
3:10:55 PM 
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August 16, 2003
Drivers and Licences
According to a new study here, people with immigrant backgrounds have a poorer understanding of traffic safety (that is they drive poorer) than do Swedes. The story makes it clear that this poor driving ability does differ depending on what country people come from, and singles out Iran and other countries in the Middle East.
People from other countries are allowed to drive here with their foreign licences for one year, and it is during this period that the problems occur. After a year you have to get a Swedish drivers licence, which besides possibly putting new demands on drivers' knowledge, also involves taking an extremely expensive round of driving instruction. (So it is possible that those people from the Middle East just stop driving after a year, since the chances are good they can't afford to get a Swedish licence.)
The story certainly will make Swedes feel good about their driving abilities. But any American living in Sweden just laughed out loud when they read it. Compared to Americans, Swedes are terrible drivers!
That is, they aren't reckless or out of control, but they really don't always seem to have a grasp on the traffic laws. They often refuse to give pedestrians the right of way, and have a habit of driving through red lights. Not seldom do you see someone turn left at a traffic light (because they have a green light) then stop in the middle of the intersection, when they catch sight to the red light stopping traffic in the direction they are turning into.
The one thing most Swedish drivers really don't seem to have grasped is the Yield sign. They just don't seem to get it, and usually drive right through it. (Or, if they have the right of way, they will let the people behind the yield sign go ahead, usually one after the other.)
The only reason I can see is that they have to spend a lot of money once to get the licence, but never get tested again, ever. So they have lots of time to forget.
Ironically the Motorists Association here seems to have it as their highest priority to get the govenment to increase speed limits. The limits on country highways now is 110 kph, which is more than 70 miles a hour. People routinely drive above that, but the Motorists Association wants 120 or more. Instead they ought to working a lot harder to get their members to obey the laws. Americans will routinely drive 5 miles an hour above the speed limit. Some (not all) Swedes routinely want to drive 10-20 kph over the speed limit, which is a lot more than the American margin. I really don't like it when these speed idiots drive past our block, where there are a lot of kids.
Licences
This whole thing about surrendering your old licence to get a Swedish one is also weird. If you have a licence from an American state, you have passed a test there and are licenced as able to drive a motor vehicle there. Getting a Swedish licence shouldn't unlicence you elsewhere, you still earned that original licence. If you have a foreign university diploma and move to Sweden and get a degree here, you don't lose the degree you earned abroad.
Licences from other EU countries are valid here, but why hasn't the United States negotiated a treay with the EU for American licences to be honored in Europe? I asked a friend who worked at the US Embassy in Stockholm once when they were going to do that, and he said there were no plans whatsoever.
3:10:55 PM
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© Copyright 2003 GlobalWatch: Notes from the Swedish.
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| Jul Sep |
| AlterNet | | 2:02PM UTC |
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 Call Me a Bush-Hater. Sneering, jeering, bad manners, hideous diplomacy, threats, demands, lies, arrogance, bluster, tax cuts for the rich. And you wonder why we think he's a lousy president?
The Scalping Party. The Tiger Force atrocity in Vietnam was the third major war crimes revelation in the last few years to encounter apathy in the media and indifference from Washington.
A Double Standard for Heroes?. Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson underwent nearly identical ordeals in Iraq. But only the white soldier's story made the cover of Time magazine.
Indian Americans Enter the Matrix. The Bollywoodization of American popular culture has long been underway. But with the appearance of a South Asian in 'The Matrix Revolutions,' a new era has begun.
An Object Lesson in Investing. Here's what happens to your hard-earned money when it enters the giant money-skimming machine we call the stock market.
The Rev in the Race. Understanding Al Sharpton's standing as a reputed black leader requires an understanding of recent history. Understanding Sharpton the Presidential candidate requires delving a bit further into the past.
Killer Cure. Everyone wants Medicare to cover prescription drugs, right? Not so fast.
The Professor Takes the Gloves Off. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman tells how he found his voice, why Bush makes him miss Nixon, and why he insults Fox News whenever he can.
The Truth About the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway should have been caught a long time ago. His choice of victims had everything to do with why he wasn't.
Personal Voices: Apology to the American Worker. I actually thought Nike and Adidas and Delta and Sara Lee were American companies run by American employees. I admit, I was confused.
Why Aren't We Winning the Indie Movie Race?. Just a decade ago it felt like the indie movie scene could become a haven for multiculturalism. Now it's just as white as the blandest Hollywood studio. What happened?
What's Health Insurance, Mom?. At 7, my daughter should be fretting over the well being of her favorite stuffed animals -- not the fates of her uninsured parents.
Listening to Veterans. We will soon be welcoming home the first of another generation of emotionally damaged veterans. How can we appropriately honor them without glorifying war?
Freedom and Security. The sacrifice of civil liberties for the appearance of greater security is a mistake that leaves future generations with little hope for freedom.
P. Diddy and Hip Hop's Tattered Garments. Hip-hop fashion kings need to take a hard look at the labor conditions that prevail in the factories where their clothes are made.
Billboard Politics. U.S. government propaganda doesn't convince Iraqis -- so why do Americans fall for it?
The 'Thing' Economy and the 'Care' Economy. A truly moral economy would reconcile our desire to prosper with our deepest moral and spiritual impulses.
Memo To Arnold: Educate, Don't Incarcerate. Unlike Davis, California's governor-elect is no slave to the powerful prison guard union -- so maybe he can afford to do the right thing.
Sarah Jones' American Dream. In her latest piece, the acclaimed playwright takes on the roles of 10 immigrants to weave a story of racism and xenophobia in the era of homeland security.
Shock Troops of the Right Wing. Censoring television movies, overturning court decisions, halting construction projects -- just what will conservatives do next?
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| Greenpeace | | 3:04PM UTC |
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Rainbow Warrior on Toxic Patrol in India. The Greenpeace sailing vessel the Rainbow Warrior is currently anchored off the coast of Alang, India. Alang is the site of the world's largest shipbreaking yard. Greenpeace is planning to conduct "toxic patrols" of ships which are here waiting for scrapping. A team of experts will do a survey and take samples to determine what type of toxic materials are on board before the ships are beached and the actual scrapping starts. Shipbreaking is an enormous danger for people and the environment. Greenpeace is the only organization in the world fighting for the 100,000 people working in this industry and for the environment they live in.
UK's own ghost ship found in India. There's outrage in the UK! The US is sending its "ghost fleet," complete with asbestos and toxic chemicals, for dismantling in England. The UK government has said the ships will have to go back. A British court has put a halt to any dismantling. Permits have been revoked. But meanwhile, in India, guess what Greenpeace's ghost-busting toxic patrol has found?
What would you do to save the tallest trees?. In Tasmania, Australia, they have these trees, that are... tall. OK, a lot of trees are tall, but these are the tallest hardwood trees in the world. We're talking trees taller than a 25-story building and 400 years old. Some people look at trees like this and they just think, "wow". Other people, they look at these trees and they think, "Wow, I could cut that down, chop it up, feed it through a wood chipper, and sell it to these companies in Japan!" And that is just what they are going to do, unless we can stop them.
Click here to find out how.
When scientists and policy makers meet. Before any major international meeting there are advance meetings to lay the groundwork. A lot of the decisions finalised at the main meeting are often made at these meetings - months before the big one.
Today was the start of one of the more important of these meetings, the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the Convention on Biological Diversity. That's SBSTTA-9 and the CBD to you insiders, and it will be going on in Montreal all week.
Year one of the Prestige oil spill. The Prestige oil tanker sank on November 13th, 2002. But this Thursday marks not the one year anniversary of an accident, but year one of a decade-long disaster. Despite this, criminally little has been done to prevent the recurrence of a similar catastrophe.
Japanese whaling fleet ready to depart. Greenpeace has learned that five vessels will set forth shortly from Shimonoseki in Japan, perhaps as early as Friday, to hunt whales once again. They continue to do so despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, under the false pretence that their purpose is "research."
US Toxic 'ghost fleet' not wanted in the UK. Two former US Navy ships are now crossing the Atlantic for scrapping in the UK. Contaminated with toxic waste, the failure of the US to clean them up at home has caused outrage in Europe. But have a closer look at the issue of shipbreaking: putting toxic vessels out of sight and out of mind is the rule rather than the exception -- and the recipients are usually developing countries.
EU waters down chemicals reform. Important new laws in Europe have been announced this week to address the current flawed and inadequate rules governing chemicals harmful to health and the environment. While the new laws represent a step forward, heavy chemical industry lobbying and scare-mongering have significantly weakened the proposal already.
France reclaims toxic ship. After being caught illegally exporting ships containing hazardous waste to Turkey, the French military has seized a former french aircraft carrier they had sold for scrapping. This high seas tale exposes again the underhand tactics and cost cutting of some sections of the shipping industry at the expense of the environment and workers' health.
Hidden hazards revealed in Disney products. Tests by independent scientists have revealed that toxic 'gender bending' chemicals are found in everyday children's products like Disney pyjamas. These chemicals can damage the developing foetus and young children; they should not be found in products you put your kids into every night.
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